Ricky Hatton today announced that he is set to make a sensational return to the ring. The 33-year-old former world light-welterweight and welterweight champion will return to action at the Manchester Arena on November 24.
"The Hitman" has only ever lost to the world's best pound for pound fighters in Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao and still feels he has much to offer.
For the past year he has spent time in the gym training the likes of Adam Little, Ryan Burnett, Craig Lyon and European light-middleweight champion Sergey Rabchenko.
And it's this experience, plus a need to make his family proud, which has brought back Hatton's desire to try and rekindle his glory days.
"People always says to me 'you got beat by two of the best pound for pound fighters of your generation so don't risk you legacy, you don't want to see you get hurt'," Ricky said.
"That's very nice, but it's been well documented what's happened to me over the past couple of years. I got stopped by Manny Pacquiao in two rounds and nobody wants to end their career in that way.
"It's also been well documented what other problems I've had since because of that defeat. Basically my life turned to mush.
"Bit by bit I've got back into the game through my promoting and that hasn't fully filled the void. It's given me a huge buzz to get my fighters a British or a European title shot but it didn't fill the gap.
"I started training and I loved my time in the gym passing my knowledge on to my fighters and that started the fire burning again."
"It's more than a comeback, it's worth more than money, it's worth more than world titles. I want British boxing to be proud of me again and I want my kids to look and say 'that's my dad there'".
He added: "I'm not coming back to box at four or six round level, I'm coming back to win world titles."
Hatton also announced that he will be trained by Bob Shannon, the man who took his younger brother Matthew to European glory and a world title shot.
Boxing at the Manchester Arena will also evoke special memories for Hatton Promotions head honcho as his last fight at the venue saw him defeat Kostya Tsyzu for the IBF world crown.
It was a night that will live long in the memory of boxing fans and is widely regarded as one of the greatest displays by a British fighter in history.
Tickets are on sale from 12pm today and an opponent will be confirmed shortly.
Visit hattonisback.com for more information